East Road Quest

Chapter 50: The Troublesome One

As the door opened, a red-haired youth sat in the darkness.

‘Was his name Ruby? This one is a bit troubling. Should I deal with him here?’

Poe, without showing his concern, said, “How is Brother Jade doing?” Ruby, with a cocky expression, simply shook his head.

‘Really, as if he could be in silent meditation… His skin is so pale and taut, untouched by fieldwork, and those clear eyes seem never to have known sorrow. I feel like slapping him. His long hair, reaching down his back, kicked up dust with every movement.

‘Should I leave him be? He might start a needless commotion.’

Poe clasped his hands over his chest, adopting a priestly demeanor, and said, “To treat the devil’s wound, we must move rooms. Would you step aside, Brother Ruby?”

Ruby silently stepped aside.

Poe called the monks waiting outside to carry Jade on a stretcher. They were specially recommended by Director Manoli for their tight lips.

A glance at Jade under the lantern revealed a pale face smeared with cold sweat. The wound on his neck was more inflamed than when first seen.

‘I thought he would last until tomorrow, but he might not make it through tonight.’

Poe led the way with the lantern, and Ruby followed closely beside the stretcher. Glancing down, Poe noticed Ruby was barefoot.

‘His feet are covered in sand. Did he sneak outside without me noticing?’

Before opening the main building’s door, Poe extinguished the lantern and took up a brazier filled with embers. The corridor plunged into darkness.

As someone opened the door, a sandstorm poured in. The monastery’s door had broken, allowing the wind to rage even within the walls.

In the pitch-black darkness, with all the lights in the main building extinguished, Poe felt the uneven ground beneath his feet as he walked forward. It was a gravel path laid out to find the annex without light.

The sound of the wind carried a clinking like chains. Turning back, Poe saw the monks carrying Jade, moving slowly as if on a pilgrimage, and Ruby was right beside the stretcher.

‘Did I hear wrong? And yet, this one has good night vision. He doesn’t even stumble.’

Poe and the monks reached the side door of the annex first.

Poe gestured for Ruby’s understanding, then entered alone. If Sofp were screaming inside, he planned to subdue Ruby first.

Poe closed the door briefly under the pretense of lighting a candle with the brazier’s embers. Fortunately, Sofp’s voice was not heard anywhere inside the dormitory. The wind blocked most of the noise.

‘It’s a good night for murder.’

Poe opened the door again. The monks carrying Jade entered first, followed by Ruby, who stood by the door.

“Have we all arrived? The wind is particularly strong tonight. Even a short distance like this could cause one to lose their way.”

Poe held up the candle as if to check the number of people, but he was really scrutinizing Ruby.

He still wore that insolent expression. Poe could detect no sign of danger from him, yet he felt a sense of crisis. It was a feeling he had never experienced in his life as an assassin.

‘I remember the witch trials five years ago. I killed twenty-one innocent women. But the judge believed all twenty-one were witches without a doubt. Then, the real witch, disguised as a hostess, was poisoned and died while drinking with him. And that witch, not even knowing who I was, tried to kill me and died…

Poe led everyone into an empty room with the candle in front.

No sound came from the room where Sofp was tied up. There could have been sobbing, but there was none.

‘Maybe she suffocated from being tied too tightly.’

The monks moved Jade from the stretcher to the bed. Ruby did not lift a finger and silently watched the process. He seemed to have no interest in Jade.

Poe said, “I will prepare for the treatment, so please guard the priest well.” Ruby nodded. His eyes, looking straight up at Poe, sparkled red in the candlelight, just like his hair.

‘One of the knights of the Order of Farense recognized me seven years ago. He attacked without a moment’s hesitation, wielding a rusty sword as if it were a holy blade, as if he were blessed by an angel. I felt the same unpleasant feeling then as I do now…

Leaving only the candle behind, Poe left the room with the other monks. They walked along the corridor and out of the annex.

‘This is different from the witch five years ago and the knight seven years ago.’

Poe let them go ahead and slightly opened the door to the room where Sofp was.

‘There’s too much that’s troubling.’

Sofp lay exactly as Poe had left her, face down. She had not made a sound, and he thought she was dead, but she lifted her head when she heard the door open.

She showed no sign of fear.

‘That woman is strange too. She’s clearly afraid, but it doesn’t show on her face. Could that be another sign she’s a witch? If she’s a real witch, that’s troublesome. They don’t die easily by fire. Maybe I should burn her to find out.’

As soon as Poe left the annex, he locked the door with a thick wooden bolt. He ordered one monk to lock the outside windows from the outside and gave commands to two other monks.

“You, get two cans of oil from the kitchen, and you, bring as much firewood as you can.”

The wind was strong, but the wooden building would burn completely if the oil was spread well.

It was one of the easiest tasks in recent missions. It was like a piece of meat had rolled in, just needing a bit of salt before eating.

‘But why am I so anxious? Poe, what’s bothering you so much?’

In the darkness, Poe waited for the monks to return, reviewing the situation so far.

‘The misfortune is over. As long as I don’t let my guard down until the last moment…’

At that moment, Poe felt his heart sink.

‘Let my guard down? I’ve already done that. I smelled the devil on those guys. It means they didn’t just luckily escape the red desert, they came here through the demons under my command!’

Poe recalled his conversation with Cardinal Lorenzo…

Poe had to retrace his thoughts.

“When I mistakenly said I killed Father Daniel, I assumed on my own that he mourned the death of the Fire Angel. That wasn’t it! What was Cardinal Lorenzo’s expression at that time? Think hard.”

Poe clasped his head in his hands.

“Cardinal Lorenzo feared he had eliminated a being that should not have been touched! That fearless old man wished for Daniel to be alive. Why? Because there was something to gain from Daniel? Because he thought there was a greater presence behind Daniel? Who could it be? The Emperor of Rome? The Holy Emperor of the Vatican? Bishop Pietro? No, it’s something bigger.”

Poe gasped for air as if he were drowning.

“When Jade left the Zerba Monastery, the person with her was Daniel! And when she left Rome, she was alone. And now, appearing together with her are Brother Autis and that insolent little brat. His name is Ruby… Ruby… Ruby… What is that boy? Why is he here?”

Poe pictured the recent scene of transporting Jade to the annex. Ruby was walking while Poe and three other brothers were carrying Jade on a stretcher.

“Yes. That boy, he never stood before me.”

The boy had positioned himself behind Poe until the very last moment, watching Poe’s hand movements with unsettling focus.

“He was guarding Jade while preparing for my surprise attack. He knew I was an enemy, yet he remained still.”

As if an answer was on the verge of emerging yet remained elusive, Poe felt a tightness in his chest.

At that moment, Director Manoli was approaching from the main building to the annex.

“What is that old man doing coming here to interfere?”

Poe hurriedly gathered his thoughts.

“Enough. Let’s not worry about it. I’ve been overly concerned. Cardinal Lorenzo wouldn’t know about such a kid, and Daniel was just an ordinary old man stabbed to death. What am I overestimating? That kid might be skilled enough to kill a demon or two. But as the ruler appointed over the Red Desert, it’s not something I should worry about…”

Director Manoli approached him and asked,

“Is everything proceeding well?”

Poe replied nonchalantly.

“Yes. It will be over soon.”

Poe checked that the dagger was secure in his cloak.

“There must be no mistakes.”

“Of course. There won’t be any.”

“The other brothers won’t misunderstand seeing the fire, will they?”

“Think of something to gloss it over.”

“Me?”

“Or should I?”

“Haha, indeed. You said you’d handle it…”

Manoli grumbled the rest of his words inaudibly. Poe felt a surge of anger and nearly drew the dagger to slash the old man’s throat.

“We can only hope the weather conceals everything.”

Manoli said.

Poe nodded in agreement.

“Yes. It’s also good weather for killing you.”

Poe decided that if the situation worsened, he would bestow upon himself the gift he had been saving.

“Perhaps today will be the day Saint Santirimo Monastery is eradicated.”

Changing his identity like this was the third time, and perhaps this time would bring the greatest thrill. This time, he might have to use his ‘original form.’ Whether he wanted to or not, the monastery would disappear.

He wouldn’t be able to control his power.

Saph, tied up and lying prone, thought to herself.

“Beishufer recognized me. He said I was a demon. With white horns…”

She mulled over each word Beishufer had said.

A white horn that emits light to drive away demons.

Hair as blue as the sky.

Among demons, only one has such a physique.

A being that knows the names of all demons.

Saph bit her lip and prayed.

“God, if I am a demon, please kill me now.”

The door burst open.

It was Ruby.

“He appears every time I pray. Is it a coincidence?”

Ruby effortlessly snapped the ropes binding Saph as if they were mere threads. Then he removed the gag from her mouth.

“Are you alright? Does it hurt where the ropes were?”

Ruby asked.

“I’m fine…”

Saph replied gloomily.

Ruby had made a suggestion when he visited earlier.

“Pretend to be tied up here.”

“If not, I might have to kill all the monks here trying to save you two. That’s not what I want, is it?”

Saph agreed.

Ruby didn’t completely untie the ropes but loosened them slightly. Saph’s role was to lie prone until Ruby returned. When Poe reappeared, she was terrified, but he seemed to think she was still bound and left as he found her.

“Father Jade?”

Saph asked.

“He’s fainted right now.”

“Fainted? Why?”

“They say it’s the devil’s poison. He’s going to die tonight.”

Ruby responded indifferently.

“Where is he?”

“In the next room.”

Saph hurried to get up but collapsed with a thud. Although she had been gently tied up, her legs were numb from being in the same position for too long.

“What’s wrong? Do your legs hurt?”

“They’ll move soon. Just wait.”

“There’s no time to wait. Those guys are going to set fire to this place soon.”

“Fire? What are you talking about?”

“Let’s go to the room where Jade is.”

Ruby approached and lifted Saph in his arms.

Saph felt as light as a fluff of cotton in the embrace of the giant.

“Put me down! I want to go on my own!”

“Shut up! If you make that unlucky remark about disliking a man’s touch in such a dangerous situation, I’ll throw you right in front of the guy who tied you up.”

“How can you say that? You’re really wicked! Was the Angel Chief a lie too? How did you deceive Father Jade?”

“Dare you doubt my integrity so casually? Shall I tell you what happened to the riffraff who talked like that 500 years ago? Cancel that statement before I pluck your horns and stuff them in your nostrils.”

“I can’t cancel it! You’re not an angel! If not, then recite a verse from the scriptures!”

“I haven’t memorized that! In fact, the scriptures are just what the angels blabbered about a thousand years ago, and people wrote it down.”

“To speak such words, that’s blasphemy!”

Ruby set Saph down as if throwing her.

Saph thought he would be thrown in anger and hit the ground hard, but he landed softly on a bed made of straw.

Next to her, Jade lay unconscious.

“And those angels who said that probably don’t remember it either?”

Saph was already ignoring Ruby’s words.

The wound on Jade’s neck was festering.

“When did the priest suffer this? Why was it left untreated?”

“Probably about half a day ago. It’s not so much neglected as there was too much going on to attend to it.”

Ruby crossed his arms and peered over Saph’s shoulder at Jade.

“Some guy named Yol said this can’t be cured with any medicine.”

“Yol?”

“He introduced himself to us as Father Puyol. It was a lie. I overheard him talking with the abbot. It was pathetic how they were plotting to kill us, so I was about to destroy them, but I left him alone thinking he could treat Jade… My expectations were wrong.”

While Ruby was talking, Saph had already prepared for the treatment.

“Hmm, as expected. You know how to treat this, don’t you? I’ve known for a long time that the light from your horns is magic…”

“Stop babbling and fetch some water!”

Saph said.

“Who are you to order me around?”

“It’s not an order, it’s a request for cooperation.”

“What if I refuse?”

“You’re refusing to treat Father Jade?”

“When did I say I disliked that? I said I disliked listening to you.”

“Fine, got it. Then you don’t have to do it. Come to think of it, the help you’ve given so far is enough. I’ll take care of the rest, so you just stand there and watch.”

Saph staggered to her feet from the bed. Her legs were still shaky. Ruby reached out to block her way.

“If you take back what you said about not being an angel, I’ll help.”

“If you’re going to help with conditions, I don’t need it. And that statement has nothing to do with this matter.”

Ruby looked at her incredulously and then waved his hand.

“Fine, you flower bud! Treating Jade comes first, so I’ll watch, but just wait until the treatment is over.”

Ruby spoke threateningly and left the room.

“I’ll say it again in case you forgot what I said earlier, I’ll pluck your horns and stuff them in your nostrils…”

Even after Ruby disappeared, the muttering continued from beyond the door. The wind carried the curses, which Saph barely heard.

Saph let out a short sigh.

‘He’s too scary.’